The Gear Box.

December 2008 By CAR AND DRIVER

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Dyno-Mite

The folks behind the Dynolicious performance meter figured out how to use the built-in three-axis accelerometer in an Apple iPhone or iPod Touch to estimate quarter-mile acceleration time and wheel horsepower. It even has a skidpad feature that displays real-time lateral and longitudinal g-forces. The application is available through Apple’s iTunes Store. Estimating a vehicle’s wheel horsepower is easy enough as long as you know the vehicle’s test weight (including the driver) and quarter-mile elapsed time: HP = Weight/(ET/5.825)³

To see if the application can deliver accurate acceleration numbers, we compared quarter-mile numbers generated by our VBOX II GPS data logger to the results.

The elapsed times were consistently slower than the VBOX data by 0.3 second or so, but that consistency allows you to determine if any modifications to your car yield an actual power gain. The skidpad screen is entertaining but hardly a good measuring tool. Overall, if you already have an iPhone or an iPod Touch, it is worth the $13, but don’t expect it to put us out of business. ($12.99; www.dynolicious.com)

The Wheel Deal

Logitech developed the Driving Force GT Wheel specifically for the Playstation3-based Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, and it is the official wheel of the Gran Turismo franchise. We were comfortable using the standard PS3 controller to navigate a virtual racetrack, but with the Driving Force GT plugged in and clamped to a desk, our lap times dropped immediately, and they’re still falling. The wheel features 2.5 turns lock-to-lock, a realistic level of force feedback—midcorner bumps jostle the wheel—and a nifty red thumb wheel that lets the user adjust brake bias, traction-control level, and stability control on the fly. Without the wheel, you have to exit your session to change those settings; with the wheel, you can start lapping and get comfortable with a high level of assistance and dial it back a little at a time. Much like on a real track, you should do the adjustments on a straightaway to avoid distraction. The included pedal set works well, though we would like more resistance from the brake pedal. Our only qualm with the wheel is its tendency to end up out of alignment after a 15-minute session. The remedy is to reset the wheel by unplugging it from the console and then plugging it back in. ($149.99; www.logitech.com)

Get Whoa'd Up

Whenever possible, members of the Car and Driver racing fraternity use a trailer equipped with electric brakes when towing to reduce the burden on the tow vehicle’s brakes, thus shortening stopping distances and improving safety. Unless you have a newer truck that’s prewired for trailer brakes, though, you need a brake controller. We fitted the Tekonsha Prodigy to our long-term Mercedes-Benz GL320 CDI and were pleased with the results. The Prodigy uses an accelerometer to proportionately apply trailer brakes relative to how much the tow vehicle is slowing, and it self-adjusts for inclines and downslopes. We were impressed by how smoothly and seamlessly the Prodigy works, and it makes heavy towing much less stressful. The Prodigy comes with a docking port so you can remove it when not in use or switch it from one tow rig to another. ($89.95 from www.RVWholesalers.com; www.tekonsha.com).

Hidden Detection

If you’re serious about radar and laser detection—to the point that a standard windshield-mounted detector just isn’t enough—then perhaps the Passport 9500ci will be of interest to you. The seriousness extends to your wallet, too, as the 9500ci costs $1600 before a very involved installation. You get a covertly mounted radar detector behind the grille, plus three laser detector/shifters (two front, one rear). The display and control modules, each smaller than a business card, mount discreetly inside the cabin. The 9500ci augments its detection with a GPS antenna and includes an updatable database fingering the location of speed cameras. You can also mark speed traps or false alarms for future warnings. We’re particularly big fans of the speed display, and the unit can be set to audibly announce your speed when an alert goes off. As installed in our long-term GL320 CDI, we found the system’s sensitivity to be comparable to that of other high-end windshield-mounted detectors. Staffers who were saved by the laser-shifting countermeasures swear by it, but make sure it’s legal in your state (sorry, Californians) before you buy it. Overall, the 9500ci is a bit like the Bugatti Veyron: darn expensive, but if you’ve got the money to spend, you won’t be disappointed. ($1599.99; www.escortradar.com)

Hair Removal

StickySheets act like a giant lint roller for your car. At about three feet wide by two feet long, the sheets can be a bit unwieldy, but they lift dog hair missed by a vacuum and have multiple uses. Plus, you can stick the sheets to your upholstery (it takes two for a rear-seat bench) as a preventive measure. ($19.95 for 12; www.stickysheets.com)

Wrap it Up

Moving and storing tires is a surefire way to get your hands dirty, and you don’t have to be obsessive-compulsive to appreciate the Tire Rack’s Seasonal Tire Tote.

Sold in pairs, these covers fit overall wheel-and-tire diameters from 22 to 31 inches. They work great, although a second handle would be nice for larger and heavier tire sets. ($19.95 for two; www.tirerack.com)